Texas A&M’s first season under Bucky McMillan gave the Aggies a little of everything: a surprise run past expectations, an NCAA Tournament berth, and a reminder of what still has to get fixed if this thing is going to hold up in March.
The Aggies were picked to finish 13th in the SEC for the 2025-26 season, but instead they kept their NCAA Tournament streak alive for a fifth straight year. They also knocked off No. 7-seeded Saint Mary’s in the first round. But the season’s rough edges showed up in a hurry, too - a 19-point home loss to Florida, a 20-point SEC Tournament loss to Oklahoma and a 31-point loss to Houston in March.
That’s the part McMillan has been focused on this offseason. Texas A&M added All-American guard PJ Haggerty, a Texas native who can create offense in a bunch of different ways: getting downhill, drawing fouls and knocking down shots from deep. That should help a team that struggled to generate clean looks, especially inside the arc.
But McMillan made it clear that another problem stood out just as much when the games got bigger and the margins got tighter.
“In March, you've got to have size, or you're an off night away from having to play really exceptional in every other area,” McMillan said during his media availability on July 8.
That’s where the Aggies’ offseason work gets interesting. Some help arrived through the portal, but some of the answer was already on the roster. McMillan pointed to forwards Zach Clemence and Mackenzie Mgbako, both of whom have been dealing with offseason injuries.
“They just practiced yesterday,” McMillan said about forwards Zach Clemence and Mackenzie Mgbako, who have been dealing with offseason injuries. “I thought they looked better.
They make us look longer; that's for sure. We take up more space out there on the floor on defense than we did last year.”
Clemence was part of the Aggies’ plan last season, especially down the stretch, though a foot injury limited him and lingered into the offseason. Mgbako’s path has been even bumpier. He dealt with a foot injury after suffering a Jones fracture last offseason, missed the start of the non-conference schedule, returned, then played only five games before aggravating the injury and ending his season.
At 6’11” and 6’9”, respectively, Clemence and Mgbako give Texas A&M more length and more room to work with on the defensive end. McMillan said he’s already seen the difference in practice. Mgbako remains limited, but he has returned to 5-on-5 action.
The Aggies also brought in more size through the portal with Tennessee transfer Cade Phillips and Loyola Marymount transfer Jalen Shelley, both listed at 6’9”. Jamie Vinson, a 6’11” forward, is back for his second season in Aggieland, and four-star freshman Josh Irving, also 6’11”, is another player the staff hopes can help early.
McMillan now has to blend the new pieces with the returning group and get everything ready for a season that begins in November. Before that, Texas A&M will get three exhibition games in August at the Baha Mar Hoops Summer League - two against Canadian universities and one against a professional team from Colombia.
It’s the next step in building out a system that asks a lot from its players, and McMillan is looking for the added size to help the Aggies execute it better when the pressure rises.
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